Admission tickets are required for workshop and lectures.

Tea 101

Meg Tartasky | 12:00 - 12:45 PM

Taste your way through the history and evolution of this iconic plant, Camellia Sinensis. This is an introduction to the 5 major categories of tea and the differences between them. As we taste our way around the world of tea, we will learn the different ways of processing the plant, the regions in which they are grown, and best steeping practices.

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I have been lucky enough to work in the food and beverage industry for 22 years, and 16 of those have been at the incredible Boston-based MEM Tea. I am MEM's Chief of Sales & Operations. I listen to film scores and audiobooks while drinking delicious tea and coordinating how we can bring it to you.

I oversee our sales and marketing teams while taking time out to visit customers to taste new teas with them and make sure their staff is educated and excited about loose leaf tea. Hand crafted and well loved beverages are my passion and I can't wait to share one with you!

Tracing Tea from the beginnings to the Early Caravan Routes

Michael Raab | 1:15 - 2:00 PM

Tea, originating in China, finds its way across Asia into Europe, Africa and ultimately into the Americas. This presentation will discuss the origins of the many ancient routes into Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Russia, and Europe.

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Michael holds a BS in Applied Mathematics and an MBA. He has over 40 years of experience in sales and marketing. And over 5 years as a business/marketing consultant. Mike is a “Certifications as Tea Specialists” from the Tea Association of the U.S., through their Specialty Tea Institute (STI). He served proudly as a Tea Mentors™ to STI (professional trainers for Certification classes).

Mike and Debbie have travelled to many tea-growing areas in: China, Nepal, India, Mississippi, Hawaii and South Carolina. They annually attend the World Tea Expo as well as other tea-related events to learn and stay abreast of industry news and trends.

Autumn Aromas: A Fall Tea Blending Workshop

Cyndi Harron | 2:30 - 3:15 PM

In this workshop we will offer you 2 base teas to create your own custom Autumn blends. We will provide a Vanilla black tea and a Pumpkin black tea, as well as herbs, fruits and flowers that blend perfectly with these base teas. We will give some general guidance on measurements that you might like with these blends. Once your two blends are created you can choose which of these blends to taste. If time allows you will be able to make alterations to your tea blend. Attendees will bring home their unique crafted blends as well as Simpson & Vail tea samples and some handouts.

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My parents, Joan and Jim, purchased Simpson & Vail in the late 1970’s when I was in middle school.  Having a free labor source, our parents put my brothers and I to work right away doing a variety of projects for them.  I joined the company full-time in the early 90’s.  My studies and interest in herbal medicine transformed into a line of herbal blends, most of which we still sell today. Over the past 30 years I have specialized in creating the majority of herbal and flavored blends that we offer as well as our collections (Literary Teas, Dessert, Holiday, Yoga and Wellness).

Five Teas That Launched a Revolution

Bruce Richardson | 3:45 - 4:30 PM

Tea historian Bruce Richardson weaves the stories behind the Chinese teas that were tossed into Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773. The world knows well how Britain’s love for tea gave rise to the crafting of countless tea things—a frequent term used in Austen’s novels—but history has neglected the devotion that wealthy residents of Colonial America had for fine furniture, silver, and porcelain dedicated to their own tea ritual. Their thirst for tea led to a party, a revolution, and the birth of a nation. All this commotion over a simple cup of tea!

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Bruce Richardson is the Tea Master for the Boston Tea Party Ships Museum, a Contributing Editor at TeaTime magazine, and the Master Blender at Elmwood Inn Fine Teas, where he designs many of the signature tea blends found in museum gift shops across New England.

Bruce co-authored A Social History of Tea and The New Tea Companion with London's Jane Pettigrew and expanded Okakura Kakuzo's classic Book of Tea for Benjamin Press. He is a frequent speaker at tea gatherings across North America, China, and Japan.